Folding tail gate



Ju1y15, 1952 H. GTRTH mL 2,603,529

FOLDING TAIL4 GATE:-

' Filed Sept. 27, 1951 E MJDMSM AIToRNEY, A

Patented July 15,1952

f FOLDING TAIL GATE' Harry G. Troth and Faye G. Damm'ann,

' Phoenix,

flippncation september 27, 1951, serial n348586 This"` invention pertains to- "improvements `in l foldingtail gatesfor stock carrying vehicles and is particularly Iadaptedto. vehicles for use on the .farm orf-range in transporting animals "from one point to another with ease and facility.'

One. of the objects of thisinvention is to providean ,improved tail gate'for stock carrying vehiclelwhich requires a minimum of eifortin' `the forward movement, of Athe-vehicle.

It .is yalsoV anfobject of this. invention to provide an improved folding tail gate for Astock carrying vehicle which utilizes a cross bar frame arrangement which acts in upper position as the rear upper portion of the load carrying body of the truck while allowing air movement from the forward movement A.of the vehicle to pass therethrough and which functions.l as a railing or Vstop for a substantially horizontal portion'of the tail gate when used in an `intermediate position for 'carrying tools `orA serving a dinner thereonrpr for other purposes where a tablelike arrangementis desired, and in which the same member functions, thirdly as the main structuralelement for the tail gate lwhen in'fully lowered position and also as a cleat to facilitate getting the stock into and out of the vehicle.

Further features and advantages of this in-A vention will appear from a detailed description of the drawings in which:

'u' frame lmembers `I'I I appropriately Y"secured-to end'20 of the member I5.

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective View of a stock carrying vehicle having a folding tail gate incorporating the features of this invention, showing the gate in full up closed position for traveling of the vehicle.

Fig. 2 shows an intermediate position for the tail gate to be used as a table structure.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the tail gate in fully lowered position for entering or removing stock from the vehicle.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

As exemplary of one embodiment of this invention there is shown a vehicle having a stock carrying body comprising a floor Il] and side bottom vIll in 4a. well known manner. Along the rear edge I2 ofithe'bottom I0 there'is provided a ldetachable hinge Vconstruction `Which'may take the form lof a cylindrical pipe member -I 3 ap-` propriately secured by suitable bracketsl I4 vto the rear-edge I2 of l,the bottom lIl) `of the vehicle body. A w

A unovelgfolding tail gate/structure comprises a ,member 't5 connected by suitable vdetachable hinge means I6 to the'bar member I3 'oi'v the bottom "I0 of the vehicle and having at its other end a hinge V(member I'I to which `is -connected the member HI8 so -that the member VI8 is l*pivotally lmounted 'aboutan axis, I9 on the outer Onpthe outer race 2| lof jtl'iejmember `I8 there is dixed aplurality of l'ip'w'ardlyl extendingbar members 22 which terminate in -acommon hor-- izontallyv di'spos'edrbar member 23 'securely welded or Votherwise fastened 4'to the outer end of the members 22. v x l In Fig. A1Y vis shown the folding A'tail -gate ar-Y ranged for traveling vmovement of the vehicle in which case the member I8 is swung back aroundl the axis I='9 of thehinge ITI nas indicatedl by the arrow 24 in Fig. vil against the bottom face 25 o'fthe'member 15- and the member I5 is swung upwardly as indicated bythe arrow v2B to vertical position-sofas tovform the completely closed tail gate arrangement. YI t"is important to `notef that in this unique design! the member 23 has' its-mp ledge" 21 of substantially @quai heightwith theside rail members il iso as to form" 'a complete .and v-fu'll f'enclosure'for fthe ve# hicle vbody which neither projects :above or'is below the generalheight level for the vehicle body. Further, air movement during the forward movement of the vehicle as indicated by the arrows 28 may freely pass through the upper portion of the tail gate formed by the openings 29 between the member 23 and the top edge 20 of the member I5 and the edge 30 of the member i8 so as to prevent unnecessary drag in the operation of the Vehicle and also prevent bad air current circulation Within the vehicle itself which would be annoying and detrimental to stocky being carried in the vehicle.

InFig. 2 is shown an intermediate position for the tail gate in that the bottom edge 3l of the member I8 engages the ground surface 32 with the member I8 in substantially vertical position as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In this arrangement the member I5 is in substantially a horizontal position so as to function as a table for the i vbers 22 engaging the top surface of the member l5 so as to form a continuous properly sloping tailgate or ramp for entrance or removal of livestock from the vehicle. It is important to note when in this position that the cross member 23` also functions asa cleat to prevent slipping of. the animals in getting into or out of the vehicle.,

outer ends of al1 of said vertically disposed bar Y members.

3. A folding tail gate for a stock carrying vehicle comprising a first gate member having one edge hingedly mounted along the rear edge of the vehicle body bottom, a second gate member pivotally mounted on the other edge of said rst member for swinging `about an axis parallel to said first mentioned hinged connection with the truck body, a Aplurality of'bar members fixed to Vthe outer upper face of said second gate member A and projecting above and beyond the pivotal While the kapparatus hereinY disclosed and de-` Vscribed constitutes a preferred form ofthe 1in- Vention, it is also to be understood that the apparatus is capable yof mechanical alteration without departing lfrom4 the spirit of the invention and that such vmechanical Aarrangement and commeroial adaptation as fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included herein. Y 5 Y Y y Havingthus fullyset forth and described this invention what is claimed as new and desired to be obtained by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a Vfolding tail gate for a stock carrying vehicle, a rst member, means for pivotally mounting one Aedge of said first member for swinging movement about a horizontal axis on the `rear end 'of `the vehicle bottom, a second member pivotally mounted for horizontal Swinging movement about an axis along the other edge ofsaidjrst member and parallel to the mounting-of said first member on said vehicle body, a

plurality of substantially vertically-disposed ybar members iixed on the outer upper face of said second member .and projecting upwardly above the pivotal connection of said second member.

with :said rst member, and cross barrmeans secured to theV outer-ends of said vertically disposed bar members. @24A foldingitail 'gatefor a stock carry vehicle comprisinga rst gate vmember having one edge hingedly Ymountedlalong the rear edge of the Avehicle body'bottom, ak second gate member pivotally mounted on the other edge of said rst member for swinging about an axis parallel to Y said rstmentioned hinged connection with the truck body, 1a. plurality of bar members fixed to the outer upper face of saidsecond gate member and projecting vabove i'andibeyond the pivotal connection of said` secondi member with said rst member, and /bar means interconnecting the connection of said second member with said first member, and horizontal bar means interconnectingthe outer ends of all of said vertically disposed bar members, so as to provide air discharge openings between said vertically disposed bar members and said horizontally disposed bar means and the edges ofk both of said gate members when in closed traveling position. on .the

vehiclebody.v

4. l'nja folding carrying 'vehiclea first gate member, means for hingedlyconnecting one edge of said gate mem-l ber for rhorizontal swinging .movement on the rear edge of the truckgbody bottom, asecond tail gate structure for A stoclg gate member pivotally mounted forhorizontal swinging movement parallel .to said first swinging movement of said first memberon the vehicle body at an outer edge ofV said flrstgate member, means for .limiting swinging movement of said second member on said first member comprising a plurality of bar members fixed totheupper outer face of, said second gatev member, yand a cross barV member fixed tothe outer, ends of said' iirst mentioned plurality of bar members so as c to form4 a. stopI and cleat-device when both of said gate members are lowered to discharge and loading position and to form a rail and air passage structure when said lower memberris swung,

upwardly to vertical, position and said second gate member is swung downwardly back against the underside of said first gatefmember when said vehicle is in traveling condition. Y

HARRY VG. v'IROII-I. FAYE G. DAMMANN.

'REFIERENoirs CITED Thefollowing references'are of record le of this patent: 4

-UN ITED STTES PATENTS in the 

